Your Ultimate Guide to Garden Fountains & Aerators

The benefits of having an outdoor fountain are not unknown to the ones who can observe and appreciate beauty. The sound and beautiful pattern of the running water, in itself, is therapeutic to us. It feels like the calmness of classical music to our ears and fills our hearts with composure. It is soothing, pleasing, and healing simultaneously and completes the overall beauty of a garden or pond.

And apart from the aesthetic point of view, fountains such as aerators also have other benefits. It cleanses oxygen-depleted water from the pond or the lake and rejuvenates the water quality. We will learn about all that in detail in the following article.

So, if you are also a lover of fountains and the sound of water created by it, then this piece is for you. We will discuss all the aspects you must consider before buying an outdoor fountain. 

Garden Fountains

How do They Work?

A garden fountain follows a straightforward recirculation process. The few essential components of garden fountains are a water pump, power cord or solar panel, water tubing, tiers, and basin or reservoir. The water pump is the most important part of a fountain as it entirely controls the recirculation of water through it. 

The Common Fountain Materials

One can use several types of materials for making garden fountains. Each material has its benefits and adds a different value to the overall function and looks of the fountain. Going through the materials is very important as it tells you about the commodity's appearance, durability, longevity, and weight.

The common materials for making outdoor fountains are cast stone, copper, fiberglass, ceramic, stainless steel, stone, brass, glass fiber reinforced concrete, and poly stone.

Types of Outdoor Fountains

Like the variation in building materials, there is a variation in the types of outdoor fountains. Let us review some well-known variations: 

1. Tier

A tiered fountain is a traditional type with a large-sized basin at the bottom of the fountain with two to three additional basins smaller in size above. The water follows the path of the smallest top stack. It flows gradually down to the largest bottom basin after going to the intermediary basins. 

2. Waterfall

The water flows from the top of the object to the large basin below. These fountains are mainly made of rocks.

3. Birdbath

The birdbath fountain only has a single large-sized basin. It got its name because birds love to sit and drink water at the edge of the large basin. These fountains serve the purpose of bird lovers who love to see the playfulness of birds in their gardens.

Electricity Requirements for Water Fountains

The water pump size determines an outdoor fountain's electricity requirements. For a garden fountain of standard size, the energy requirements can be around 30-60kW.  If you calculate, a 60W water pump, running 24 hours a day, pushing 930 gallons of water per hour at around 0.067kW/h would hardly cost you 3 dollars a month. So you can see that running an outdoor fountain is not as expensive.

You may also read: Basics on Building a Greenhouse

What About Solar Fountains?

Solar fountains are exclusively cost-effective and the best thing to choose if you want to cut the expenses of your electricity bills. Especially for people living in sunny states like Arizona, solar fountains are the perfect way to go. However, electric fountains can be a better option if you live in a generally overcast area. The solar fountains do not store any energy of their own and work when there is direct sunlight. Some may also come with a rechargeable battery so that it charges up when there is a direct source of sunlight. 

Aerating Fountains 

Aerating fountains are better than the decorative fountain options for ponds or lakes. It not only provides an excellent circular V-shaped view, but this pattern also serves the purpose of aerating the whole pond.

Energy Requirements for Aerating Fountains

You must know the size of your pond and the purpose you require for your aerating fountain to serve.

There are options available for 115V, 230V, and above as per the size of the pond and depth of water. Choosing a fountain of at least 1 to 1.5 horsepower for each acre of water is best for initiating perfect aeration of your pond.

Things You Must Consider While Buying an Aerating Fountain

You should consider a few things when you are looking to buy an aerating fountain. There are three things in particular that you have to keep in mind, which are shape, size, and depth.

1. Size

The horsepower requirement of your aerating fountain depends solely on the size of your lake. The larger the lake, the larger should be the horsepower. 

2. Shape

Aerating fountains are best suited for round ponds. The rejuvenated or aerated water goblets may not reach all corners of an irregularly shaped pond. It can not do its function correctly in a pond of irregular shapes.

3. Depth

The pond must be at least 6ft deep for the aerating pond fountains to function correctly. 

A Few Aerators and Garden Fountains That You May Like

1. Tiered Fountain By Exaco 

The aesthetic beauty of this tiered fountain is pleasing to the eye and is a perfect element to add to your garden. As far as the product description is concerned, this fountain has an immersive pump of 120 V 60 Hz and a 12 V output.

It has a long power cord of 12ft and 3 prong plugs. You can adjust and extend the power cord up to 9 ft starting from the base of the tiered fountain. The fountain capacity is 2 gallons of water and weighs around 18 lbs. 

2. Bird Bath With Solar Pump Fountain

It is the most cost-effective fountain as it is entirely powered by solar energy and works with 4 distinct nozzles. As you often see with bird fountains, the pump discs float on the surface of the water in the fountain.

The level of spray depends on the amount of sunlight the fountain receives. But it is up to 18" on a sunny morning. The water capacity is 1 gallon, weighing just 11 lbs. For the measurements, the bowl is 24" high and 2.75" deep, while the base is 11.5" x 11.5". 

3. Bearon F500F Aerating Fountain 

This model comes with all the necessary features, which makes it an excellent buy if you are looking for an aerating fountain for your outdoor pool. This product gives you a good mix of pleasant aesthetics and fruitful aeration for your pond. It displays a dramatic V-shaped circular pattern while aerating any lake or pond.

The pond's water depleted of oxygen is exposed to direct air and transfers to every corner of the pond with this fountain's aeration system.

The height and width of the spray are 4'' and 15'', respectively. It weighs around 51 lbs and runs on ½ horsepower. It requires electric energy of 5 Amps (for 115V) to 2.5V (for 230V). The company provides a 2-year warranty with this product. All in all, this is everything that your pond needs to get rejuvenated again.

4. Bearon F1000F Aerating Fountain 

This fountain is almost the same as the product mentioned above and comes from the same manufacturer. But, it is especially suitable if your pond or lake size is a bit larger. It comes with the options of no cords and cords of 50'', 100'', 150'', up to 350''.

Again, this is a perfect fountain as it simultaneously provides aeration, rejuvenation, and aesthetics to the pond. It can throw large droplets of water, depleted with oxygen at 6'6' height and 21'21' far, that transfer the aerated fresh water around the pond. It requires minimal horsepower and around 7A (for 115V) or 3.5A (for 230V) power for functioning. 

Conclusion 

Outdoor fountains aesthetically uplift your garden and pond and serve the purpose of aeration and circulation. Suppose you have a lovely garden or an outside pool; you can undoubtedly opt for a fountain to make your property beautiful and functional.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get yourself a grand fountain and enjoy the perfect view of it during a beautiful sunset.

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